नाट्यशास्त्रस्य रसाः
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The Natyashastra by Bharatha Mahamuni is a treatise on the performing arts encompassing theatre, dance and music. The text covers stage design, music, dance, makeup, and virtually every other aspect of stagecraft. It is the only text which gives such detail about the music and instruments. Natyashastra is the foundation of fine arts in India. The most authoritative commentary on the Natyashastra is "Abhinavabharati" by Abhinavagupta.

The text comprises of 6000 verses in 36 chapters.

The discourse is set in a frame where a number of munis approach Bharata, asking him about nāṭya. Nātya means Dramatic Arts in Sanskrit, the term natya refers to the troika of drama, dance and music. The answer to this question comprises the rest of the book, in a dialogue form.

The Natyashastra ranges from Construction of the stage (mandapa), to a detailed analysis of musical scales and movements, to an analysis of dance forms in several categories of body movements, also impacts on the viewer and also tips for the spectator. Chapters deal with aspects such as makeup, costume, acting, direction. It deals with the theory of rasa- the dominant emotional theme in detail. A large portion of the acts deal with meanings conveyed by the performance (bhaavas) which get particular emphasis, leading to a broad theory of aesthetics (rasas). Bharata argues that there are eight broad categories of rasas {dominant emotions}: love, pity, anger, disgust, heroism, awe, terror and comedy, and that plays should mix different rasas but be dominated by one. Each rasa experienced by the audience is associated with a specific bhaava portrayed. For example, in order for the audience to experience Shringaara rasa, the playwright, actors and musician work together to portray the bhaava called Rati (love).